Executive Coaching

We can help managers and executives with a wide range of communication issues. Our Executive Coaching is always nuanced to address the specific needs of the client, taking into account their experience, level of confidence and the situations in which they face day to day.

The Programme

Each client’s coaching programme is tailor made for them, devised after a discussion about the areas where they need development work. These can include programmes to

Develop their Expressive Communication Skills so they can respond appropriately, and confidently, to a variety of situations, encounters and people.

Develop their Receptive Communication Skills so they can read and understand others.

Develop Proprioception so they can understand the impact their behavior, words, actions and attitude have on others.

Develop and enhance their gravitas, assertiveness and confidence.

Develop a professional communication style that encompasses both gravitas and spontaneity, authority and empathy.

This will enable them to:

Enhance their leadership skills.

Present with confidence, eloquence, clarity and persuasiveness to any kind of audience: peers, juniors or those more senior.

Address large meetings.

Manage Q & A sessions.

Run and facilitate meetings effectively.

Manage One to One meetings with clients with confidence.

Develop their Networking skills.

Communicate effectively on the phone, both one to one and in conference calls.

Enhance their videoconferencing skills.

Communicate effectively during interviews.

Manage conflict.

Manage interviews with the Media – press, radio and TV

The Process

After the initial Skills Sessions where clients can acquire a new skill-set, or refresh their existing skills, we suggest a gap of two or three weeks in which they apply these skills in their working day and life. In the follow up session the client has an opportunity to feed back to the coach on the impact of their new skills. Sometimes, they don’t require more help.

Alternatively, they may want to focus on some specific problems. If a client is having difficulty with specific people, kinds of people or certain types of situations, then managing this can all be brought into the coaching programme.

Often, clients want a session in which to consolidate their newly acquired skills. This can take the form of rehearsing a presentation, preparing strategies for key meetings or practising media interviews.

If you would like to discuss your specific training needs in confidence, please go to the CONTACT page.

Craft of Communication coaching starts with a skills session.

A: Content:

The first part of workshop begins with a series of practical exercises that help the client learn how their posture, body language, use of eye contact, breathing, and voice can affect both the image they project and the way they feel about themselves.

If there is a problem over confidence, we will explore how one can create a cycle which drains our confidence. With that knowledge, we then move on to techniques that put this cycle into reverse, building confidence and raising energy levels. All this helps to make it possible to be more assertive.

Next, the client is helped to make more efficient use of their voice. This is a vital part of this skill building session. They learn how to articulate arguments with greater clarity and eloquence by making subtle changes in the use of Pitch, Pace and Volume. Vocal problems like poor articulation, gabbling, underpowered voices, speaking too fast, etc can also be addressed.
For clients who do not have English as their first language, and feel this impedes their communication, we can offer accent reduction work. We can also work with those who feel the same about strong regional accents.

The session can be adapted to focus on whatever the client needs. For example, if a client is concerned about One to One Client meetings, the skills session will help them to:

Maximise the impact they make when meeting a client.

Manage the relationship with a client more effectively.

Deal effectively with difficult clients.

To use the voice to maximum effect in client meetings.

To run meetings where a team is meeting the clients

Facilitate discussions to maximum effect.

Influence others: moving listeners from one point of view to another. This is very useful in marketing and sales.

B: Coaching Methods.

Our workshops are all action: there are no lectures. Our clients learn the techniques by using them. As the session develops, there is of course analysis, discussion and debate, as well as games and role-play. Worksheets are used to pinpoint key ideas.
The skill building session always focuses on those areas where a client feels they need to improve their skills. If they want to improve presentation skills, they will be asked them to bring a presentation of about 15 minutes that they have given, usually give or plan to deliver. We will use that as the material for the session.
We teach these skills by using role play. For example, in the sessions on One to One meetings described above, the client will take turns to play both the role of their client, and their own role in a typical meeting. Playing their own client is particularly valuable because it is a chance to experience the situation from their position and how their own behaviour impacts on the client.

The Follow Up Sessions

After this, it is best for the client to have two or three weeks in order to apply these skills in their working day and life. Sometimes, they find they can use our work easily and don’t require more help.

Some may want another session in which to consolidate the Skills session. This can take the form of rehearsing a presentation. They can also prepare and rehearse meetings.

Some clients choose to rehearse important meetings with one of our team of actors playing the person or group they are meeting.

All Craft of Communication actors have the ability and experience to play a wide variety of characters and situations. We have a highly disciplined approach in which the actors and director research the characters and their profession and background. This means we can create situations that are entirely authentic; the situations and characters feel real.

Each scenario is devised to suit the needs of the client. Some of it will be scripted, but all Craft of Communication actors are skilled in improvising whilst remaining true to the situation and character. Thus we can deliver both the expected and the unexpected. We also have a film crew who can video the role play. This gives clients a chance to watch, and assess their own performance.

Clients can request to role play any situation that concerns them: meetings with clients, colleagues who are senior, junior or their peers. This technique is extremely helpful in preparing and rehearsing Media Interviews, where the actor plays the journalist – press, radio or TV.

This approach can help delegates immeasurably as they have a chance to role play any particular scenario,
receive expert feedback and then replay it – several times if necessary.

Many clients want to follow up the first session by learning other skills such as improving their use of PowerPoint, Facilitation skills, Video Conferencing or have sessions to enhance their voice.

It is important that the timing of these follow up sessions suits the needs of the client. It may not be appropriate to have another three hour session. We can have a series of one hour or 90 minute meetings where we talk through the consequences of these changes, or focus on helping a client deal with situations as they come up in their diary. All these issues will be negotiated to suit their needs and circumstances.

The goal of Craft of Communication Coaching is to help managers and executives who wish and need to make a breakthrough in their careers. The coaching does not just teach techniques, but helps them to integrate these new skills into their existing skill base, career and life. With this, it is hoped they can find new ways to resolve old issues, and a fresh way to face the challenges to come.

John Abulafia,
Director, Craft

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Feedback

“By all accounts, yesterday’s session was outstanding. Maurice was blown away by the transformation of Paul’s client-handling. Paul downloaded to me that the whole training process with you had been ‘life-changing’ and that he wishes he’d had it 10 years ago – he’d be running the BBC by now. I’ve never heard him so enthusiastic about anything.”

Sophie Manham: SHM

“I realize that this is a major investment that eBay is making in to my development as a leader. Thanks you for making it possible”